There have been no recent sightings of the eight or so documented great Indian bustards in the Siruguppa region of Ballari district in Karnataka. Local conservationists claim the critically endangered birds seem to have abandoned the region due to disturbances caused by the construction of tall structures and plantation work by the Karnataka Wildlife Department.
Ballari is the only breeding ground for the great Indian bustards in peninsular India. It is the second one in India, after Rajasthan. India has the only population of this iconic grassland species in the whole world. The bird has been categorised as “critically endangered” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and accorded the highest protection as Schedule 1 species under India’s Wildlife Protection Act.
The Karnataka wildlife department has built four three-storey structures,…
